MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice president, Shah Mehmood Qureshi has lauded the Supreme Court (SC) decision of delaying local bodies (LB) election in Punjab and Sindh, saying the verdict will impede the rigging efforts and help in holding free and transparent local government election in the two provinces.

Talking to media persons here on Monday, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Punjab and Sindh government excusing shortage of time, in haste carried out delimitations in accordance with their desires and used government machinery for getting desired results but SC decision of giving them more time spoiled their entire planning of rigging LB polls.

He demanded that the new delimitations should be held through Election Commission (EC) restricting the provincial authority in this regard as administrative officers work under the provincial government and are bound to follow the directives of concerned government and if don’t, were transferred to far flung areas.

The PTI said that fresh delimitation should be made public and reservations over them would be removed before finalizing them.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that tradition of getting desirable results in LB by the ruling parties should be ended and transparent system must be ensured by introducing biometric system which will minimize the rigging opportunities.

He urged all political parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), Jamaat-e-Islam (JI), Awami National Party (ANP) to come on same page to develop consensus over ending rigging in LB election.

The PTI leader said that he will soon contact leaders of the political parties in this regard to persuade them for holding LB polls through thumb impression system. He also demanded for authorizing the judiciary for monitoring polls.